Lakefront Brewery, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, started in 1987 by Russ and Jim Klisch who started the brewing as home brewers competing over who could make the best beer. Although I am located in California, I was able to find a 6-pack of their IPA at a local store in San Mateo and I’m glad I did find this IPA. It has a great hoppy nose from the Cascage and Chinook hops but balanced by a generous malty sweetness.
Bison Brewing is a small brewery, headquartered out of Berkeley, California that brews USDA certified organic beer and sells it to 12 states (as of writing). The history of the brewery was a little turbulent but the excellence of their product has prevailed as exemplified by beers such as Chocolate Stout, Honey Basil Ale, and, the beer we’re focusing on today, Gingerbread Ale.
Bison describes Gingerbread Ale on their website and on the bottle as follows:
Our Spiced holiday porter is brewed with ginger, nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon, yielding the aroma of fresh backed gingerbread men! The chewy dark malt flavors are sure to smooth out that dinner with the in-laws.
Date Reviewed. December 13, 2009
Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco.
Serving Type. Bottle to pint glass.
Appearance. Bison Gingerbread Ale is deep dark brown, nearly black, and opaque. You can see a little light through the corners of the glass, which gives the beer a deep dark red-brown glow. The head is cola-fizz color. Poured about 0.75 inch of head which did not last long. However, a nice thin layer of foam remained throughout consumption.
Smell. This beer has wonderful holiday spice bouquet of ginger and cinnamon and maybe some nutmeg. It also has the perception of cloves, even though cloves are not listed an ingredient. The spices do not overwhelm and contribute to a good balance of beer and spice. It also has a hint of brown sugar and a nice roasty malt aroma. The roasted and black malts contribute the a hint of coffee aroma.
Taste. Gingerbread Ale is balanced and not excessively sweet. It has a toasty and roasty malt taste with a dark sugar flavor lacking the bitterness of molasses. The dry sugar flavor combines well with the ginger and cinnamon to have just enough spice without being overwhelming. The spice is more subtle in the taste than the smell, which is good thing. This beer tastes better at cellar temperatures than ice cold.
Mouthfeel. Medium-light bodied and nicely carbonated. Like many porters this one has a ever so slightly chalky mouthfeel that smooths out at a warmer temperature.
Drinkability. As a holiday beer this is very tasty and, despite being a spiced beer, I could drink two of these in one session. This beer is great to sip and savor slowly.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
On a recent trip to City Beer Store in San Francisco I was browsing the beer fridge, after having tried De Ranke’s Père Noel, trying to figure out what other winter season beer to try. As soon as I spotted 2 Turtle Doves by The Bruery, I grabbed a 750ml to try. I first heard about 2 Turtle Doves (or sometimes Two Turtle Doves) on twitter from @aircoleman who recommended it with this tweet: “2 Turtle Doves” is a Belgian-style Dark Ale brewed with cocoa nibs and toasted pecans. A very nice 12% winter beer!”
2 Turtle Doves is crafted by a brewery in Orange County, CA called The Bruery, who specialize mostly in Belgian-style ales found either in 750ml bottles or on tap. This beer is the second winter seasonal beer they have produced in their series of the “Twelve Beers of Christmas” with the first being “Partridge in a Pear Tree.”
This is truly a wonderful winter beer which I initially described on Twitter as “like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” These flavors are not on accident. The bottle caption describes 2 Turtle Doves as follows:
Belgian-Style Dark Ale Brewed with Cocoa Nibs & Toasted Pecans
The second verse of our “Twelves Beers of Christmas” saga begins with caramel and toasty, nutty malt with a luscious layer of chocolate. Happy Holidays!
Date Reviewed. December 11, 2009
Where I Found It. City Beer Store in San Francisco, CA
Serving Type. Served from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.
Appearance. 2 Turtle Doves has a dark black or very dark brown color with a pleasant mocha colored head. Head didn’t last to long in the tulip glass.
Smell. The aroma of this beer is heavily like dark chocolate syrup. It also has hints of cola, rum, with a dash of holiday spices like cloves or nutmeg. The spicy quality plus the cola undertones give it a smell like an artisan root beer or sassafras. The aroma also has hints of gourmet coffee. Finally, as the beer warms it reveals a bouquet of caramel, nutty pecans, and toasty malt.
Taste. I originally described 2 Turtle Doves on Twitter as follows, “it’s like chocolate syrup muddled with a sweet stout with a little cola, gourmet coffee, and spices.” The dark roasted malt flavor comes through like an iced coffee made with gourmet coffee and artisan dark chocolate bittersweet syrup. The sweetness and the alcohol come through like a 18-year aged rum while not being boozy. The hints of cola flavor complement all of the other flavors. Also picy cloves. Finally, the malt has a nice roasty and caramel flavor. 2 Turtles Does is a delectable dessert in a bottle.
Mouthfeel. This beer is full boded, thick, and smooth but there may be a few tannins, that come through, giving it a hint of chalkiness.
Drinkability. 2 Turtle Doves is pure liquid dessert, a treat, and delicious. Although it is 12% alcohol by volume, it drinks smoothly and easily.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
Over the summer I was on vacation in London and took advantage of the opportunity to try as much English beer as was reasonable, especially the ales on cask. One of the more memorable bitters that I tried from the cask was Adnams Broadside bitter at the Seven Stars pub, near the Royal Courts of Justice. It was not only one of the tastiest cask ales that I had on my trip but also one of the freshest (when I tried it the first time). Even though it was starting to get stale when I visited the same pub the next day, it is not the fault of the brewer and Broadside is still a tasty beer.
Adnams is a brewery, located in Southwold, England, that strives to make beers for the “most discerning drinkers – drinkers who cherish individuality and seek out brands with personality and style.” Although, Adnams beer can be found in bottles and kegs, they claim that their specialty is beer from a cask. From the myriad of cask ales that I had on vacation, I would have to agree that they do cask ale very well.
Broadside is an award winning Extra Strong Bitter ale that was named after the “Battle of Sole Bay fought against the Dutch Republic in 1672 off the Southwold coast.” The Adnams brewmaster website says the following about the flavor of Broadside:
Rich in fruitcake aromas, almonds and conserved fruit. A wonderful balance of malt and hop flavours and a pint to savour. Brewed with Maris Otter mal, sourced locally to the brewery with the addition of two traditional English hop varieties.
Date Reviewed. August 11, 2009
Where I Found It. Seven Star Pub in London, England.
Serving Type. Served from the cask.
Appearance. Broadside has an off-white head with loose foamy bubbles and does not last very long but is likely due to the way it was poured/pulled. This beer has a beautiful red-brown ruby color and is crystal clear.
Smell. This beer has a sweet biscuit/amber aroma with a nice roasted malt accompaniment. It has a slight fruity hop bouquet, which is very subtle and goes very well malty sweet aroma.
Taste. Broadside has a distinct roasted and sweet malty flavor with a hint of vanilla or caramel. The bitterness in this beer is noticeable, in a good way, much more than some of the other bitters that I tried during my London trip. The hop bitterness is refreshing and balances very nicely with the malt sweetness. It reminds me of an American amber ale like Ballast Point Calico, or should that be the other way around.
Mouthfeel. This is a medium bodied beer with low carbonation. It is flavorful and not watery.
Drinkability. On a hot day this beer was not as thirst quenching as some of the lighter-flavored bitters. However, the deliciousness of this beer was a refreshing change of pace.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
Mama’s Little Yella Pils is the latest addition to the canned beer offerings of Oskar Blues and their first canned lager. It was released earlier in 2009 just in time for the warm weather of summer. Speaking of summer this is a refreshing, crisp, malty beer that is perfect for warm weather.
This name of this beer is very likely an allusion to lyrics in the song Mother’s Little Helper by the Rolling Stones. The first verse of the song is as follows, with the reference underlined:
What a drag it is getting old
Kids are different today,
I hear evry mother say
Mother needs something today to calm her down
And though shes not really ill
Theres a little yellow pill
She goes running for the shelter of a mothers little helper
And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day
The brewery describes Mama’s Little Yella Pils as follows:
Our new canned good is a delicious, small-batch version of the beer that made Pilsen, Czechoslovakia famous. Mama’s is made with hearty amounts of pale malt, German specialty malts, and traditional (Saaz) and 21st century Bavarian hops. It’s the perfect antidote for the watered-down, cornfed versions of pilsner clogging America’s shelves. Our first canned lager, it’s also fermented at cool temperatures with a German yeast.
This pilsner is certainly not watered down. It has a nice malty flavor and a great hops bouquet making it a well crafted beer perfect for summer or to be paired with salty cuisine like pizza, burgers, or Japanese food.
Where I Found It. Generously provided by the brewery.
Serving Type. Served out of a can into a glass.
Date reviewed. August 27, 2009
Appearance. Mama’s Little Yella Pils is Crystal clear to slightly hazy in clarity. It is wonderfully bright yellow with a touch of golden-yellow color. The standard foamy white head lasts an average amount of time on top of the beer.
Smell. The hop bouquet is slightly coppery or metallic but also pleasant, earthy, and just a hint of spiciness. The Saaz and German hops really stand out nicely in this beer. The hop bouquet is accompanied by a malt aroma that is grainy with a light sweet malts.
Taste. There is a smooth bitterness to Mama’s LIttle Yella Pils that is well balanced by the grainy sweet malt flavor. The sweetness in the malt combined with the earthy hops gives a flavor that is almost like a diluted honey. The hops are earthy and the bitterness builds up just a little bit over time. A great combination of flavors and complexity for a pilsner.
Mouthfeel. This is a medium or medium-light bodied beer. The carbonation level is just right and makes this a refreshing malty beverage. It is crisp and smooth with a hop bitterness that adds to the refreshment of this beer.
Drinkability. Mama’ Little Yella Pils is a smooth and easy to drink beer. A perfect beer for a warm summer day to accompany BBQ or grilled meat. It has a great thirst quenching characteristic.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
On a recent vacation to London, a friend of mine, Allen, introduced me to The Jerusalem Tavern where we were in for a real treat: a full selection of St. Peter’s Brewery beers on tap and in bottles. One of the beers I tried was the Ruby Red Ale and although I drank it out of an acrylic pint glass, I was able to enjoy it outside with friends and it still tasted spectacular.
St. Peter’s Brewery describes Ruby Red Ale on their website as follows:
A tawny red ale with subtle malt undertones and a distinctive spicy hop aroma from Cascade. Ruby Red won a Silver Medal at the SIBA East Anglian Beer Festival in Bedford in October 2004.
Where I Found It. I had a pint of Ruby Red at The Jerusalem Tavern in London on August 11, 2009.
Serving Type. This beer was served from the cask into an acrylic pint glass.
Appearance. Thin off-white head with loose bubbles and does not last long. Clear red amber ruby mahogany color.
Smell. Ruby Red Ale has a sweet crystal malt aroma which is more sweet and roasted than biscuit-like. The fruity sweetness almost reminds me of watermelon, sweet and refreshing. The hop aroma is subtle and sweet.
Taste. This beer as a smooth sweetness with a kick of bitterness at the end. It has roasted sweetness with a flavor of vanilla. I also has a wonderfully unique flavor which is hard to describe. There is a hint of cocao which gives a slight dark chocolate flavor enhanced by the bitterness of the hops. This beer, to me, seems quite bitter, but at the time of writing, during my London trip, I have had several barely hopped English ales. So on the spectrum of English bitters, this beer is much more bitter.
Mouthfeel. Ruby Red Ale is medium bodied with low carbonation. It has just the right amount of thickness for the flavor. Not watery and not syrupy.
Drinkability. Delicious and a refreshing departure from the almost too easy to drink English ales.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
Ballast Point Brewing Company is one of the several excellent breweries that are located in the San Diego area, who take their name from an area of San Diego. The Calico Amber Ale is an award winning American Amber Ale, including a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2001. The brewery states that this beer was inspired by the beers of England know as bitters and closely related to an ESB but brewed with American ingredients. Ballast Point describes this beer as follows:
The blend of crystal malts give it flavors including toffee and caramel. A blend of American Cascade and Centennial hops provide a counterpoint to the malt. Finally our proprietary yeast provides a fruity background and a Madeira like richness that rounds out this gold medal winning ale.
Immediately upon opening and pouring this beer you will indeed experience the richness of Calico Amber’s aroma.
Where I Found It. BevMo in La Quinta, CA.
Serving Type. 22 oz. bottle.
Appearance. The head of Calico Amber Ale is cappuccino colored and very frothy. The head stayed at an inch or more for an average amount of time but appears to keep a few millimeters of head indefinitely. This beer is crystal clear with a very appealing color. It has a deep red amber color but is not opaque. In fact, it is about as transparent as you can get and still have such a bold dark-red color.
Smell. The hop bouquet is faint can be described as a little spicy and a little coppery. The malt aroma is almost unmatched by any beer that I’ve had so far. It has a strong fresh roasted barley malt smell to it. It smells as if I had just opened the bin of crystal malt at the homebrew shop. It has a bit of brown sugar sweetness too but not like a barleywine. It also smells like boiling wort just before adding the hops.
Taste. Although the taste of Calico Amber Ale beer is very good, the taste is slightly overshadowed by the appearance and the aroma. Don’t get me wrong the flavor is excellent but it is just not as awesome as the appearance and smell. The flavor is sweet roasted barley malts and almost like the flavor of boiling or unfermented wort. The hops give the beer a hint of copper flavor as well as a bit of spice. There is also the flavor of honey present. This beer is clearly more malty than hoppy but the hops are there to give some balance.
Mouthfeel. This is a medium bodied beer with just the right amount of carbonation. It leaves no hop bitterness on the tongue but does leave a nice sweetness of the malts in the aftertaste .
Drinkability. This is a wonderful beer with a complexity of malt flavors that make it easy to enjoy. The sweetness of the malt makes it smooth.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
Caption from the BottleThe following caption is found on the side of the bottle:
Calico Amber Ale won the distinction of being judged “one of the best beers in the world” by winning the 2002 World Beer Cup Gold Medal in the American Amber Ale category. At the 2001 Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, Calico Amber Ale won the Gold Medal as the “Best Amber Ale in America”. Full-bodied and aromatic, this California style amber ale is a careful blend of four hops which provides a delicate spice flavor and perfectly balanced finish.
Get the Point!
After my tour of the Firestone-Walker brewery, I had the opportunity to try a few of their beers. The first that I tried was Lil Opal. Lil Opal is a a Belgian style Farmhouse Ale and is Firestone-Walker’s summer seasonal offering this year. One reason behind the name “Lil Opal” is that it is a small beer created from the second runnings of a wheat wine, called Big Opal. The wonderful beer was fermented with Belgian Saison yeast and then racked into neutral Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc oak barrels.
On the same visit to the Yard House, when I tried Avery White Rascal, I also had a pint of Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red by Rogue Brewery.This beer is made with Chinook and Centennial hops giving it a piney hoppy smell.
St. Rogue Red beer is an award winning red ale that has won Best Amber at the 2006 Celebration of Suds, a Silver at the 2004 World Beer Championships, and more.
Where I Found It. I enjoyed this beer at the Yard House in Pasadena, CA.
Serving Type. I tried St. Rogue Red on tap served into a pint glass.
Appearance. This beer has a typical off-white head, which lasts an average amount of time. Despite it’s amber color, it is crystal clear with a medium amber golden color.
Smell. Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red has intense floral hops with citrus and pine notes. The pine is a smooth scent and not harsh and scratchy. There is also a hint of grapefruit with a touch of orange.The malt aroma is almost completely masked by the hop bouquet.
Taste. The hop bitterness can be characterized as being smooth and not very harsh. I was surprised when I tasted this beer because it is not as bitter as you might expect from the very hoppy nose. It gives it a refreshing quality. I would consider this beer to be more roasty and toasty but less malty. It does, however, have a nice balance between the malt and hops.
Mouthfeel. This is a medium to light bodied beer. I actually find it to be on the lighter side of body and almost feeling a bit too watery for my taste. The hop bitterness finishes well and does not linger too long. Although it seemed watery to my, my gravity calculations don’t agree so take this part of the rating for a grain of salt.
Drinkability. This beer is very drinkable. It is smooth and well balanced which makes it feel like it is not too bitter even though it has 44 IBUs of bitterness. Although it felt a little watery for my taste, this lighter body makes it more refreshing.
Rating. My ratings below are on a five point scale with five being the best score.
In March, I was snowboarding at the Northstar-at-Tahoe ski resort and for lunch my group stopped for lunch at the Summit Deck & Grille at the top of the mountain. While I was trying to figure out what I wanted to eat, I noticed that they had two beers by Mammoth Brewing Company on tap. I had never tried any of their beer so I thought I’d grab a Paranoid Pale Ale. I had no intention of reviewing that beer on the spot, especially since I did not have my camera, until I tasted it. It is hoppy, well balanced, smooth, and refreshing. To me, it really seems like an ideal beer for skiing and snowboarding.
This malts used to create Paranoid Pale Ale are ESB malt, crystal malt, and honey malt. Simcoe hops are used for bittering, crystal and cascade hops are used for finishing, and this beer is dry hopped with cascade.
Where I Found It. At the top of Northstar-at-Tahoe at the Summit Deck & Grille.
Serving Type. Paranoid Pale Ale was served on tap into a clear plastic cup.
Appearance. The head of this beer is nice and foamy with a slightly darker than egg-shell white color. This beer is crystal clear with an orange amber color. The color is similar to that some dark orange candies.
Smell. The hop bouquet of Paranoid Pale Ale is a little spicy with spruce or pine notes. There is also a hint floral and citrus notes. The aroma comes through with a little caramel maltiness.
Taste. The flavor is malty caramel and vanilla while very nicely balanced with a distinctive cascade flavor. The taste of the hops are slightly spicy, a little floral, but not pine tasting. Although this beer has 40 IBUs, the hop bitterness is smoother and balanced by the sweetness of the malt.
Mouthfeel. Paranoid Pale Ale is a medium bodied beer. The bitterness lingers briefly then is smoothed away by the malt sweetness. The bitterness does, however, builds up on your tongue over time.
Drinkability. This beer goes down smooth with a wonderful hop flavor balanced with the malt. Since it does not have a harsh bitterness, it goes down smooth. I’m thinking the beer was designed with skiing/snowboarding in mind because it was great with lunch after a morning of snowboarding. It would also be a great après ski beer.
Rating.
Although I did not try Paranoid Pale Ale from the bottle, I did find a picture on Flickr.
Classic American pale ale featuring a piney citrus hop nose, a full malt body, and a clean bitter finish.
Beer 47 in a Tumblr
